7 churches, synagogues open for walk in Oak Park, River Forest

Walk of faith set for Sunday afternoon

This year's Sacred Spaces House of Worship will feature seven locations. (Tribune illustration from Googlemaps)

A walk of faith will take place inside and outside seven buildings in Oak Park and River Forest from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Sacred Spaces House of Worship event near Division Street and Harlem Avenue is sponsored by the Oak Park-River Forest Community of Congregations and the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

Last year, the two organizations — in a pilot program — sponsored a similar walk of six churches in central Oak Park, along Lake Street and up and down Oak Park Avenue. Joe McDonald, board vice president of the Community of Congregations, said, "It was a natural partnership. They have the history."

"We had a really good event," said Frank Lipo, executive director of the historical society. "We thought if it went well, we'd try it again."

The historical society had held a house walk every spring for 10 years and Oak Park had a similar opening of all its churches in 2002 during the village's centennial. McDonald said his wife suggested the houses of worship walk and he contacted the society.

Since the historical society and the Community of Congregations, an interfaith organization, serve both villages, they decided to add two synagogues in River Forest.

The houses of worship are Grace Lutheran Church and School; Oak Park Temple B'nai Abraham Zion; West Suburban Temple Har Zion; St. Thomas Aquinas Priory (Dominican University); House of Our Lord Chapel at Concordia University; Christian Science Society of Oak Park and River Forest; and Living Sanctuary of Faith Church.

"It's nice we involved the two universities in different ways," Lipo said.

Advance tickets for $15 may be purchased up to 5 p.m. on the day before the walk at the Book Table store, 1045 Lake St.; the Oak Park Visitors Center, 1010 Lake St.; or on the historical society's website, http://www.oprfhistory.org. Tickets cost $20 the day of the event and may be purchased at the check-in at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St. Participants can start their walk at any of the seven houses of worship.

Participants will be given a program book with one page on each site. Check-in can start as early as 1:30, Lipo said.

Free parking is available in the Concordia University parking lot on Bonnie Brae Street between Thomas and Division streets and next to the Koehneke Community Center and Grace Lutheran Church.

"At each site, we'll have people available to tell you about the building and congregation," Lipo said. At least one person from the congregation and representatives from the two organizations will be at each site.

The two villages have more than 45 congregations, according to McDonald.

Lipo added that Oak Park was called "Saint's Rest" in the late 19th century or early 20th century because of the number of its churches. "People would say, 'How do you know when you are in Oak Park? When the saloons stop and the church steeples start.'"

"Religion is important in many ways. The spiritual role in life is important in any community; why not find out more about buildings and people?" Lipo said.

McDonald added, "Our goal is to promote interaction, communication and better understanding among faiths. We looked at this as a natural toward the goal."